Pressure and magnetic field dependence of valence and magnetic transitions in EuPtP.

The hexagonal layered compound, EuPtP, exhibits two valence transitions, at T1 = 235 K and T2 = 190 K, and an antiferromagnetic order at T(N) = 8.6 K. We have examined the effects of magnetic field and pressure, and the specific heat. Analysis of the high-field experiments confirms that half of Eu are in a divalent state at the lowest temperature, and that the number of Eu(² + ) increases discontinuously at T2 and T1 with increasing temperature. The magnetic entropy reaches ~ 22 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ at room temperature, which is larger than that expected for J = 7/2 of Eu(²+ ) (17.3 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹). This is in good agreement with the magnetic entropy deduced from the interconfigurational fluctuation model, which explains the valence transition in Eu(Pd(1- x)Pt(x))2Si2. The application of pressure shifts T1 and T2 higher and suppresses the intermediate phase (ß phase, T2 < T < T1), whereas it does not change the properties of the low-temperature phase (γ phase, T < T2) and the T(N).

Effects of magnetic field and pressure on the intermediate valence state of YbPd.

High field magnetization, magnetoresistance and pressure effects of magnetic susceptibility, thermal expansion and electrical resistivity were examined for the intermediate valence system YbPd, which undergoes two first-order transitions at T(1) = 125 K and T(2) = 105 K. Analyses of high field magnetization suggest that half of the Yb atoms have magnetic moments below 100 K up to 55 T. The Yb valence state and the first-order transitions are stable up to 55 T. On the other hand, T(1) and T(2) decrease with increasing pressure and the first-order transitions disappear at around 4 GPa. Above the critical pressure, the experimental results suggest that the intermediate valence state persists down to the lowest temperature or a heavy fermion state is formed. We will show that most experimental results are explained reasonably by assuming the first-order transitions as a valence order transition of Yb. The magnetic ordering temperature is decreased with increasing pressure, in contrast to other Yb intermediate valence or Kondo systems. This may be correlated with the instability of the valence ordered state in this compound.

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism of a valence fluctuating state in eu at high magnetic fields.

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at the Eu L edge in two compounds exhibiting valence fluctuation, namely EuNi_{2}(Si_{0.18}Ge_{0.82})_{2} and EuNi_{2}P_{2}, has been investigated at high magnetic fields of up to 40 T. A distinct XMCD peak corresponding to the trivalent state (Eu(3+)), whose ground state is nonmagnetic (J = 0), was observed in addition to the main XMCD peak corresponding to the magnetic (J = 7/2) divalent state (Eu(2+)). This result indicates that the 5d electrons belonging to both valence states are magnetically polarized. It was also found that the ratio P_{5d}(3+)/P_{5d}(2+) between the polarization of 5d electrons (P_{5d}) in the Eu(3+) state and that of Eu(2+) depends on the material. The possible origin of the XMCD and an explanation of the material dependence of P_{5d}(3+)/P_{5d}(2+) are discussed in terms of hybridization between the conduction electrons and the f electrons.

Pilomatrix carcinoma of the axilla: CT and MRI features.

Pilomatrix carcinoma, a rare malignant soft tissue tumour, is the malignant variant of pilomatricoma. We report a case of pilomatrix carcinoma of the axilla. CT demonstrated a well-circumscribed, sand-like calcified mass. MRI showed diffusely inhomogeneous, mixed signal intensities with inhomogeneous enhancements. The MRI findings were different from those previously reported for pilomatricoma.

[Liposarcoma of the pleural cavity; report of a case].

A 43-year-old-woman who had sever anterior chest pain visited our hospital on April 3, 2000. A well-defined abnormal shadow was seen in the middle and lower field of the right lung on chest X-ray. Computed tomography showed a large fat density mass in the right pleural cavity with a septum enhanced by contrast medium. Percutaneous needle biopsy revealed lipoma or liposarcoma. Complete resection could be done with combined resection of right lung, lpericardium, parietal pleura and diaphragm. Final histologic diagnosis was well differentiated liposarcoma. There are few reports of liposarcoma arising in the thoracic cavity, we present our case and review the 23 cases reported from the Japanese literatures.

Collapse of valence transition in Yb0.8Y0.2InCu4: pressure-induced weak ferromagnetism.

We investigated the magnetization of Yb0.8Y0.2InCu4 as a function of temperature down to 0.6 K, pressure up to 1.2 GPa, and magnetic field up to 9 T. The valence transition temperature of Yb0.8Y0.2InCu4 is lowered with applying pressure. At 0.8 GPa, collapse of the valence transition and ferromagnetic ordering occur almost simultaneously. The ferromagnetic phase at 1.2 GPa is characterized by a low Curie temperature of 1.7 K and an extremely small ordered moment of 0.05 micro(B) per Yb. Some effect of screening the ordered moment may play a key role in the ferromagnetism and the valence transition.

Combination therapy with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and percutaneous ethanol injection compared with percutaneous ethanol injection alone for patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma: a randomized control study.

BACKGROUND: To assess whether the effectiveness of a combination of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) is superior to PEI alone in the treatment of patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a randomized controlled study was performed. METHODS: Fifty-two patients with one to three HCC tumors measuring < than 3 cm in greatest dimension were enrolled and underwent the combination TACE-PEI therapy (26 patients with 31 nodules) or PEI alone (26 patients with 34 nodules). There were no significant differences in background between the two groups. The mean follow-up was 30.1 months +/- 17.5 months. RESULTS: The cumulative detection rates of local residual disease in the TACE-PEI group (3.7% at 1 year and 19.3% at 3 years) were significantly lower compared with the detection rates in the PEI alone group (34.2% and 39.3%, respectively; P = 0.013). The cumulative new nodular recurrence rates in the TACE-PEI group (8.7% at 1 year and 19.3% at 3 years) tended to be lower compared with the recurrence rates in the PEI alone group (26.9% and 80.1%, respectively; P = 0.057). The cumulative survival rates were not significantly different between the two groups (TACE-PEI group: 100%, 80.8%, and 40.4% at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years, respectively; PEI alone group: 91.3%, 65.9%, and 37.7%, respectively; P = 0.458). However, among the patients from each group with HCC tumors measuring < 2 cm, the survival rates in the TACE-PEI group were improved compared with the survival rates in the PEI alone group (P < 0.01) in addition to the detection rates of local residual disease and the new nodular recurrence rates (P < 0.01 and P = 0.047, respectively). The frequency of short-term and long-term adverse effects was not significantly different between the groups. However, only two major complications (biloma and ascites with pleural effusion) were observed, both of which occurred in patients in the TACE-PEI group. CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy with TACE-PEI was superior to PEI alone in the treatment of patients with small HCC tumors, especially for patients with HCC tumors measuring < 2 cm in greatest dimension.

A case of lung metastasis from endometrial adenoacanthoma 17 years after initial treatment.

In March 1982, a 60-old woman presented with an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade 1, stage Ib endometrial adenoacanthoma, histological subtype of endometrial carcinoma. The patient underwent radical hysterectomy and was followed up for 10 years, without disease. In August 1998, an abnormal shadow in the right lung was suggested on a chest X-ray film at her routine health check-up and she came to our hospital for further evaluation. A thin-section computed tomographic scan of the chest suggested a malignant lung tumor, but the diagnosis remained tentative. Open biopsy was recommended, but the patient refused and was followed up on an outpatient basis. In November 1999, a thin-section computed tomographic scan of the chest revealed a slightly enlarged tumor and laboratory examination showed a high serum progastrin-releasing peptide concentration of 90.7 pg/ml. We performed partial resection of right upper lobe with video-assisted thoracic surgery. Pathological examination confirmed the lung tumor had metastasized from endometrial adenoacanthoma. Immunohistochemical stainings of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor were positive both in the primary and lung tumor, only in the component of adenocarcinoma. After surgery, the serum progastrin-releasing peptide concentration remained unchanged. The patient is currently alive and free of disease.

Interferon alpha inhibits intrahepatic recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma with chronic hepatitis C: a pilot study.

The aim of the present study is to evaluate whether interferon alpha (IFNalpha) therapy can inhibit intrahepatic recurrence after the curative treatment of small HCC with underlying chronic hepatitis C. Forty patients were enrolled in this study. They had solitary, small HCC

Histomorphometric characteristics and cellular kinetics of colorectal polyps with epithelial serrated proliferation adjacent to carcinoma.

Four cases of colorectal polyps with epithelial serrated proliferation (CP-ESP) with malignant transformation were studied. In CP-ESP adjacent to carcinoma, if the nuclear size in the surface layer was significantly smaller than those in the bottom and the middle layers of the crypts, the specimen was defined as zone formation positive. If there was no significant difference among the layers, the specimen was defined as zone formation negative. Cell kinetics were evaluated using Ki-67 immunostaining. The CP-ESP regions of cases 1 and 2 showed zone formation with inferior and lateral glandular branching, and were qualitatively hyperplastic on cell kinetics. Cases 3 and 4 showed inferior and lateral glandular branching with no zone formation, and were kinetically neoplastic (adenoma). The histogenesis of hyperplastic polyps with atypia (cases 1 and 2) involves the hyperplastic polyp-carcinoma sequence. In contrast, the development of tubulovillous adenoma or serrated adenoma (cases 3 and 4) may involve the tubulovillous adenoma-carcinoma or serrated adenoma-carcinoma sequence.

Increased expression levels of p53 correlate with good response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

In order to determine whether expression of the tumor suppressor gene p53 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) correlates with chemotherapeutic response, resected tumors from 18 patients with recurrent lung cancer who had undergone complete resection and received chemotherapy after the initial tumor recurrence were subjected to p53 immunostaining. Histological examination of the resected tumors revealed 11 adenocarcinomas, 6 squamous cell carcinomas and one adenosquamous cell carcinoma. Group 1 was 50% (n=9) p53-immunopositive. All patients received cisplatin-based chemotherapy after recurrence. No patient in group 1 achieved response to chemotherapy whereas 2 and 3 in group 2 achieved complete and partial responses, respectively. The chemotherapy response rate of group 2 (56%) was significantly higher than that of group 1 (0%, p=0.009). The times to reoccurrence after tumor resection of group 2 was significantly better than that of group 1 (log-rank p=0.019, Wilcoxon p=0.042), and survival after chemotherapy of group 2 was also significantly better than that of group 1 (log-rank p=0.023, Wilcoxon p=0.034). It is suggested that high p53 expression levels in tumors correlate with both good response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy and good survival of patients with advanced NSCLC.

Changes in serum tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 after interferon alpha treatment in chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of interferon alpha on the metabolism of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C, monitoring serum tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1) and N-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) reflecting fibrolysis and fibrogenesis, respectively. METHODS: Serum levels of TIMP-1 and PIIINP were serially measured in 112 treated and 31 untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C during and after interferon alpha treatment. Furthermore, the relationships between these serum markers and the grades of hepatic fibrosis after interferon therapy were also investigated. RESULTS: Serum pretreatment levels of TIMP-1 and PIIINP in non-responders were significantly higher than those in sustained and transient responders, but these levels were not different in the latter two groups. Serum TIMP-1 levels decreased significantly during and after treatment in sustained responders, and decreased temporarily at the end of treatment in transient responders, although these levels were unchanged during and after treatment in non-responders and untreated patients. In contrast, serum PIIINP levels decreased significantly during and after treatment in all treated groups, but were unchanged in untreated patients. Histological examination 12 months after interferon was completed demonstrated that hepatic fibrosis improved in sustained responders and was unchanged in transient and non-responders, but progressed in untreated patients. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that interferon alpha treatment of chronic hepatitis C may improve hepatic fibrosis in sustained responders by the acceleration of fibrolysis as well as the inhibition of fibrogenesis, and that it may suppress the progression of hepatic fibrosis in non-sustained responders by the inhibition of fibrogenesis.

Predictive factors for intrahepatic recurrence after percutaneous ethanol injection therapy for small hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy has been used widely for small hepatocellular carcinoma. This study was undertaken to determine factors predictive of local recurrence or new nodular recurrence in patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma treated with percutaneous ethanol injection. METHODS: The authors studied 73 nodules treated with percutaneous ethanol injection in 49 patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma. The usefulness of predictive factors for recurrence was assessed with the Kaplan-Meier method. The clinicopathologic variables examined included age, gender, Child-Pugh classification, number of tumors (single vs. multiple), tumor size, degree of tumor differentiation, ultrasonographic findings such as peripheral hypoechoic band (so-called 'halo'), intratumoral echo pattern, tumor staining on enhanced computed tomography, combination therapy with transcatheter arterial embolization, and serum alpha-fetoprotein level. RESULTS: The local recurrence rates were 19%, 27%, 33%, 33%, and 33%, respectively, and the new nodular recurrence rates were 19%, 51%, 74%, 83%, and 83%, respectively, at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years after percutaneous ethanol injection therapy. The frequency of local recurrence was associated with the histologic differentiation of more than moderately differentiated (P < 0.001), presence of a sonographic halo (P < 0. 005), an intratumoral heterogeneous echo pattern (P < 0.001), and positive tumor staining on enhanced computed tomography (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of a halo and an intratumoral heterogeneous echo pattern were the most important variables for predicting local recurrence. The frequency of new nodular recurrences was related to the presence of multiple tumors (P < 0.01) and a high serum alpha-fetoprotein level (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that a high serum alpha-fetoprotein level was a reliable predictor of new nodular recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the presence of a halo and an intratumoral echo pattern on ultrasonography were useful predictors for local recurrence after percutaneous ethanol injection therapy for small hepatocellular carcinoma, and that a high serum alpha-fetoprotein level was associated with a higher frequency of new nodular recurrences.

Rupture of metastatic nodule on the peritoneal surface secondary to hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 20-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) died of intraperitoneal bleeding from ruptured HCC, which was diagnostic from hemorrhagic ascites. At autopsy, a small nodule covered with hematogenous deposits was noted in the pelvic cavity near the left iliac artery. Microscopic findings showed that this was a ruptured metastatic nodule from HCC. Rupture of a metastatic nodule from HCC, especially one located on the peritoneal surface, has rarely been reported in the literature.